Unit 4 Assignment: Creative Media Production Management Project

Scenario: Your have been commissioned by BBC North East to create an appropriate media product based on the theme ‘Life in the North East’.

Task 1 - Development of Ideas for a Creative Media Product

You will effectively (updating individual production diaries):

• identify the target audience you need to address
• identify the range of resources and materials available to you
• identify the skills you have those that will develop from the production
• mind map a number of appropriate ideas
• identify the production management requirements for each idea
• decide which idea might be appropriate
• undertake research into appropriate content based on the target audience
• undertake research into appropriate production techniques
• identify potential constraints on production
• identify ways to address constraints

Task 2 - Preparing a Pitch

You will:

• finalise ideas for their media product
• prepare a proposal
• prepare a presentation including delegate notes and presenter’s notes
• give the presentation in the form of a pitch to your client and take note of feedback
• refine ideas as a result of the pitch, where appropriate.

Task 3 - Managing the Production

You will:

• determine production roles (if employing a team or working in a group*)
• complete pre-production process
• complete production process
• complete post-production process
• show rough cut or draft product to focus group
• make changes to finished product, where necessary.

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Development of Ideas

The following is a mindmap of some initial ideas I had based off of the theme of ‘Living in the North East’.

The two ideas that stand out the most to me is the website and history, as I love my history and have previous experience with Wix editor when it comes to create a website. With this in mind, I can get about identifying and profiling my audience, look into what demographic would be best targeted. BARB website may help; however, this mostly surveys TV audiences and may not be very telling for internet audiences. Another source, Google analytics, may be more appropriate, as it inquires about people’s search history and uses this as a basis. Still, this is very broad, so a more local source would be appropriate. Teesside University’s Demographic change in the North East England would be more appropriate, or perhaps the Regional Profiles: Key Statistics PDF file.

Skills that will be appropriate to this task with be research techniques, planning, formatting, writing and web design, all of which I have experience with and have adapted to throughout this two year course. Production management requirements would include organizing said website, as well as appropriating articles on seperate tabs depending on the section of history. Production techniques would include research into secondary sources, as well as quantitative research based off of empirical research, or qualitative research which can be more subjected upon findings.

I see no reason as to why there should be constraints on my project, so long as I do not plagiarize or out right steal my information, as well as cite my sources where appropriate, and approach the subject with respect for history and culture. Have been commissioned by BBC North East to accomplish this task, I can rely on their rules and regulations, in addition to counting on them for advertising my product to their own audience. Speaking of which, let’s have a look at the target audience and demographic of BBC North East. The BBC Trust Service Review on local radio and news in the North East would be an appropriate source to cite.

Preparing a Pitch

I have finalized that my media product will be online based, a website with research and information about the North East of England.

Proposal

The outline of my product is as follows: a history based website concerning that of the North East, for those interested in learning about our rich heritage as a region. I believe this could not only inform the people of our region to the history of the North East, but also expose it to tourists that traffic in and around the county Durham, city of Sunderland and Tyne & Wear. Exemplar history sites of the North East region include the following:

• Old Sunderland History
• A History of Sunderland
• Archives, local history and heritage
• A History of County Durham
• Tyne and Wear | region, England, United Kingdom | Britannica.com
• North East England Regional Hub and Portal
• North-East History Tour
• A History of the north east in 100 places

Obviously, the one thing these websites all have in common (and will have in common with mine) is that they concern history and the specific history of the North East region. However, they all vary in design, style and format, some looking more professional than others.

Perhaps the most interactive and unique of these websites is ‘A History of the north east in 100 places’, linked last in my list.

Once you click the ‘Explore places>” option, it takes you to the following page where you can select a number of landmarks to view.

This format is simple to follow yet also very professional looking and modern, which can appeal to a younger demographic perhaps put off by the more old fashioned or formal websites.

Colours are often bold and dark, brooding even; however, the ‘100 places’ one is more light in tone with an undertone of grey. Looking at this, I may choose to also blend these styles with a more, dare I say, ‘original’ red/burgundy color scheme with appropriate colors to match (I’m thinking black and white). But how does this all tie into my proposal? Well, I have outlined what I think of these websites and believe, that by identifying these components, I can better use to utilize my own website to its fullest potential. I intend to place citations for my sources when it comes to the articles.

The target audience, of course, would be situated towards those already inhabiting the North East, as well as those coming to visit (tourists). BBC North East, being the company that has commissioned me to make this project a reality, would also help to promote towards the demographics of the region, ensuring their internet traffic audience either views or at least is made aware of the websites existence.

According to the report Demographic change in the North East England by Tony Chapman and Michael Jackson (no not the singer), “Demographic change: key indicators 2004- 2029 | The population of the North East is expected to remain fairly static over the next twenty-five years, with the revised projected increase in population being only 19,500 from its estimated level in 2004 of 2,542,200, an increase of only 0.8% compared to 11% nationally.” So then, between now and 2029 we can expect at least an uptick in population growth, hopefully with more people exposed to advertising of the website.

Meanwhile, the Regional Profiles: Key Statistics PDF file (report by Office of National Statistics) says, “The North East covers 8,600 square kilometres (sq km) and is the smallest region or country in the UK outside London in terms of area… Population density in the North East in mid-2010 was 300 people per sq km, below the England average of 401 but above the UK average of 257.” Population is sparse in the region; that said, I believe that if the BBC North East programming were to promote our product, we could make a viable product. It all depends on the content and whether or not it is worth revisiting.

Managing the Production

With pre-production and the pitch out of the way, it is at this stage where I actually begin production of my website and the information on it. Production roles will all be exclusively mine to undertake, given this is a one man project. That said, the roles include:

1. Web designer
2. Writer
3. Producer

These will be the roles I will have to undertake in order to complete my project. Henceforth, from now on I shall be documenting the production process of my project (writing and web design). The following is a link to my website: https://mattytulip.wixsite.com/earl-of-durham

The following is the template for my history website, chosen from the CV/Personal Portfolio section.

The choice may be baffling to some, but I see potential in the idea; however, it may mean a change in approach as to what I write about when it comes to the events and histories of the North East. I think it would be best to instead focus on one particular historical period or event of the North East, rather than a broad, all-encompassing historical website, as there are already websites for that. So now the question remains: what historical period or event would be best to focus on when concerning the North East? There are a few in mind:

• North East England during WW1 or WW2.
• Penshaw Monument and its history.
• Coal mining industry in the North East.

I find the history of Penshaw Monument, as well as the person it was built in honor for, quite interesting in aspect.

John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, (12 April 1792 – 28 July 1840) was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America. He was a founding member and chairman of the New Zealand Company that played a key role in the colonisation of New Zealand. Also known as "Radical Jack", he is commonly referred to in Canadian history texts simply as Lord Durham. Lord Durham died at Cowes on the Isle of Wight in July 1840, aged 48, and was buried at St Mary and St Cuthbert, Chester-le-Street. The Penshaw Monument in County Durham, on a hill west of Sunderland, was built in his honour.

Having only recently learned of the Earl myself, I think it would be nice to bring light as to the origins and purpose of the monument, as well as the man it was dedicated too. I took original photos of the monument to use for my website. The following are those photos:

These will be important, as most photos of Penshaw taken by the BBC are under copyright law. Besides, original photos are the best way to go as this shows my dedication to the project. These are photos of my initial draft of the website:

The following photos were used for the website:

The portrait, sourced from Google images, was obvious for a visual representation of the Earl of Durham. As for the top right photo, I used this as a background photo for the top page. As for the lower left, this is part of the ‘Did you know?’ section, and reflects a nice shadow of the monument, almost matching the desired theme of the section, offering what people may not know. As for the last image, the plak I think looks nice when scrolling the site, as it is readable when scrolling up and down.

As for the rest of the images, I could add a gallery section in order to exhibit the rest of my photos, in order to give a better presentation of the monument for visitors and tourists. Wix, being mobile friendly as well, means this website offers a unique app for visitors or tourists to the site. This could work well into the tie-in with the BBC, who can advertise the product on their own website and through ads.

Overall, when comparing to initial ideas and plan, the concept has changed drastically, from a full history on the North East to a more niche website focused on the Earl and Penshaw.

Feedback

The following is written feedback from my peers, as part of the assignment.

Positive comments include:

• Nice colour scheme
• Good use of images
• Very informative on local content
• Neat layout and design
• Professional looking history site

Critical feedback includes:

• Links to possible historical videos or documentaries
• Use of more methods in order to express the content i.e. videos
• Use videos to show off the areas described
• More photos

Overall I’m quite pleased with the feedback. The dominate request appears to be a link to any possible videos or documentaries related to the historical context. In addition, a request for more images is also asked of, and it could be that I could implement a photo gallery for unused images of the monument. Having reflected, I think I have done a great job of getting over the historical information of the website, and in turn achieved the theme of the north east, as it was a niche website on local history.

UNIT 5 Assignment: Production Proposal, Documentation & Evaluation

INITIAL PROPOSAL

Intro - requirements of the brief and the production idea.

Royal Television Society, a British-based educational charity. This serves as an opportunity for us Media students and those aspiring for a role in the industry, as it is an ideal platform in getting a project out there and your name recognized. As an informal brief, we have been asked by request and no formal document has been signed as a form of contract. As Media students we must take into consideration our own precautions, be it paperwork or permission slips, whether it concerns consent or shooting locations. We are under no legal obligation; however, as it is part of our coursework to complete by the end of our term, it is vital we do so as it can lead to a better overall grade. This will also serve as a testament to our discipline when working with other individuals on set and from different areas of work.

Target audience  - what information has been provided about the target audience and how has this information helped with your planning?

No real information has been provided other than the 14 and 19 year demographic, as this project is being done by students of similar ages. Furthermore, the short film is of the horror genre, which notoriously goes over well with the teenage target audience. For example, Horror Movie Research by Alex Gilbey offers statistical analysis on the topic, proving that young people are the largest majority that view such films. This makes for a viable film worth showing off at RTS.

Purpose/Aim – What is the purpose of the commission and how has this informed your ideas?

RTS intend to showcase our short film as part of Young People’s Media Festival. This event is, as aforementioned, an opportunity for us Media students (as well as drama students) to showcase our skills in production, editing, among other key areas critical in the developing of a film project. This has done well to inform initial ideas due to the demographic of students ranging between 14-19, as mentioned.

Format – What information has been provided about the format of the production and how have you used this information?

Production format includes shooting locations such as Bede college and Barnes Park, so precautions would have to be made in an effort ensure safety procedures are made. However, speaking of the brief, this of course includes filming and involves practical work and that means the use of equipment, most notably a camera, graciously supplied to us by Bede college themselves.

Content - What information has been provided about the content of the production and how has this informed your ideas?

The content of the production includes the script, which we will be using as the basis of the story. This has informed our ideas by offering a more visual way of implementing our practical when it comes to the actual production of the short film. These are some ideas we had in discussion within the group chat, below.

Style - What ideas do you have for visual style?

Visual style with include an aesthetic 1960s look with black and white to accompany it. We hope to put an emphasis on the color red or blood in general, as well as religious symbols to enforce the Christian imagery of the short film. Because of this, we would have to make sure to take measures that ensure no controversy is made, nor anyone in the audience be offended by the use of such motifs.

STRUCTURING YOUR PITCH

Introduction: Grab the reader’s/viewer/listeners attention – why should they pay attention to your idea?

Dark Days is a spoof supernatural neo-noir film, this idea is on script and in development as both drama and media students of Bede college look forward to showcase it at the RTS awards ceremony.

Target audience - How your ideas appeal to a specific target audience?

The genre is proven to draw in a young demographic of 14-19 year olds, the same as the range of individuals participating in RTS student film showcase. Alex Gibley’s research shows that horror films tend to attract a slightly younger audience, predominantly under 25s. It is said that roughly 42% of horror audiences are women, with 58% being men.With the supernatural elements and youth of the actors, we think this is enough to draw in a crowd.

Purpose - How do your ideas fulfill the purpose of the brief?

The purpose of the brief is fulfilled this way as our own is an informal one, being rather loose in legality and only being that of verbal communication. As showcased, we formed a group chat to hash out and discuss ideas and filming times, as well as meeting locations.

End by briefly summing up why your idea will be successful and why the company should commission your work.

I believe his work should be commissioned as part of RTS awards ceremony for young people because it is a chance for them to test the genre and see if theory and research can be practiced. This way, if it were successful, you could build further upon it and off it’s success, and will in turn inspire other students to showcase their short films at RTS.

PRODUCTION DOCUMENTATION

An informal brief can be as straightforward as a chat over a drink in the pub. A Non/limited documentation. There are no direct contractual agreements discussed or specific requirements outlined. This tends to be undertaken and then fleshed out at a later date; however, given the nature of our brief, no consent forms were signed amongst us. More verbal communication between the client and the company you will be able to understand fully what the client is asking fully.

The following is our cast/crew and the roles:

1. Kieran Barker - Director/Actor
2. Luke Metcalf - Actor
3. Harry Palmer - Actor
4. Mattie Orr - Actor/Assistant Director
5. Matthew Tulip - Cameraman/Assistant Editor
6. Kevin-Lee Middleton - Senior Editor
7. Lucy Mclaren - Lighting/Set

A particularly frustrating moment for us, as we had to cancel filming; however, this also serves proof of ideas discussed for out initial filming plans. We would end up not using a Church at all.

Potential film locations that were discussed:

• Bede Campus (office areas and theatre)
• Barnes Park (near the ponds)
• Churches:

1. St Mary & St Peter's Church - Address: Springwell Rd, Sunderland SR3 4DY, Phone: 0191 528 3754
2. Burn Park Methodist Church - Address: 5 Burn Park Rd, Sunderland SR2 7LS, Phone: 0191 514 2218
3. St John's Methodist Church - Address: Ashbrooke Rd, Sunderland SR2 7HQ, Phone: 0191 522 7165
4. St Andrew's Church, Roker - Address: 9 Talbot Rd, Sunderland SR6 9PT, Phone: 0191 516 0135

We were officially handed this assignment on the 16th of November 2016, and the following week, on Wednesday, were organized by our lecturers into groups that allocated media students with drama students. When placed in my group I made clear I was fine with whatever we were doing, and as it turned out actors Luke and Harry were eager to write a script to put to film. We had our first official meeting the Wednesday after and discussed what the plans were. We knew Harry and Luke were writing the script; however, this would take until December to complete, and storyboards would have to wait till after editing.

I have evidence to produce for this, involving the media production group chat we made on Facebook.

As of 01/11/18, we have determined the filming locations to be Bede Campus and Barnes Park, more specifically the men’s changing rooms and the theatre. We have set the changing room in the vain of that of a office area, as the office is meant to be in the location of a church. Thus, we will be getting shots a church to establish scenery. Though we have completed some filming, we have yet to full capture all footage, and will be filming next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Yesterday, we were meant to be shooting; however, one of the actors failed to show, so plans have changed. Prior to this date we have already filmed scenes in the Priest’s Office, two to be exact. We require filming a flashback sequence in the Priest’s office, with scenes in Barnes Park and finally in the theatre of the Arts Academy. Hopefully, filming will be complete next week and ready for editing, which will then leave room to clear up documenting production progress and completion.

On 01/15/18, we shot scenes of flashbacks in the Priest’s office, as well as in the toilet areas of Bede College Art Academy. The following day, we shot scenes in Barnes Park with actors Luke and Harry, Harry’s character replacing Mattie’s due to circumstances. Filming went well and we got some good footage; however, there have been many edits made to the original script and scenes have either been altered or scrapped. All that remains is the scenes to be shot in the theatre. What remains for editing (apart from the clips) is the music and required voiceover for the intro. The voiceover will be provided by Luke, in character, as part of the story. A tascam would be necessary.

On 01/22/18, we shot one of the two scenes required in the theatre. As this is been written we have hit original deadline date; however, the date has been pushed back to the 9th of February and we can book more possible scenes in the theatre for next week. Monday or Tuesday would be ideal so we can complete editing and then start an individual evaluation. In addition to the last scene, we must introduce Harry and Mattie’s characters to one another in a scene, as well as record voice over with Luke in character.

On 01/26/18, we finally completed filming and drastically changed the entire point of the short film. Realizing we were out of time and had poorly managed the structure and logic of the film, our scriptwriters pitched the plan to break the fourth wall at the end of the movie. This finishes up the filming of our movie and now all that remains is the editing.

As of the 01/30/18, we’ve organised clips in the editing process and are looking forward to a finalized product. After this, storyboards will be drawn up and all the groups media students will have compiled their own version of events, evaluating the process and documentation of our film.

On the 01/31/18, all clips were organized for editing and the process was well under way. This has stretched into the following day, and on Thursday the 1st of February, our deadline day, we have the film complete and all documentation gathered.

On the 02/02/18, we had a hiccup with the editing, with Adobe Premiere strangely misplacing edits, clips and messing with the overall structure of the short film. It is infuriating given that Kevin has done a fantastic job of editing thus far. However, we have now successfully solved the issue and converted the film.

Evaluation

When we were first given this assignment on the 16/11/17, I was eager to see which groups we would be placed in and who with, as well as work along with like-minded drama students. I chose the role of editor or cameraman before being given the latter. I was comfortable working in either one of these roles. As for my actual role, I think I performed the best I could given the circumstances. These circumstances included what I found to be a very poor set and shooting location, that being the men’s changing rooms in the Art Academy of Bede College. What was also frustrating was getting into proper position to capture all I could in the scene, and I was unable to use more establishing shots then I would have liked. This makes the scenes somewhat claustrophobic and horribly shot.

Above: Photo of the men’s changing room. Very small and cramped for filming, especially with set and props.

My opinion on the film is simple: it’s bad. In contrast, I did like the script and thought it had potential; however, we could never realize its potential due to poor setting and a need to cut out some of the lines, in order to make due with the time we had. What was worse was that there was one small scene we forgot to shoot that I’m kicking myself over for forgetting. It was the small scene meant to introduce Harry’s character to Mattie’s character. If I was ever that careless then I’d be chewed out and rightly so. But looking back on it now, it makes it all the more better.

You see, we shot the ending as a fourth wall break, with our actors screening the movie and voicing their opinions on it, ending with them looking into the camera. It’s a cop out honestly, but at least it is funny. Plus, our actors acknowledge how bad the movie is, making the lack of cohesion in the film make all the more sense due to criticism. As for the actors themselves, I thought they performed admirably, and although I thought the actual end product was bad, I had a lot of fun filming with them. They are great people and it was cool to see their ideas and performances.

On the topic of the script, the original ending was cut out in favor of the aforementioned swerve ending. The original ending would have included an exorcism as discussed in one of the scenes in the movie. The “demon” (Keiran’s character) would have broken out of his circle and killed all the other character’s present, breaking free. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your opinion of the movie) we did not have sufficient time to shoot this scene, as it would have taken place in the theater, which was frequently booked.

Speaking strictly on paperwork, our work has exclusively been recorded on Google Drive and Blogger, with the exception of storyboards. As aforementioned, due to the nature of our brief, we did not bother to sign consent forms, as we were all mutual in our participation as a cast and crew. As for safety evaluations, no such documents were made; however, precautions were taken as soon as we were on site/set. For example, we would always clear the men’s changing room and survey our boundaries before shooting. In addition, when it came to Barnes Park, we arrived on site and occupied the bridge as soon as, with little use of safety regulations, since we were off campus grounds.

Overall, as much as I think the actual end product was terrible, I had a bit of fun working alongside my classmates and drama students, and this experience I think will serve if I were ever to get on an actual production set with professionals.